Opposition leaders have sharply criticized Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu after he suggested that the remaining hostages in Gaza should be classified as 'prisoners of war.' Eliyahu's comments, made during a radio interview, have been condemned as dangerous and insensitive, with opponents arguing that such language could put the hostages at greater risk.

Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, called for Eliyahu's immediate dismissal, accusing the government of abandoning the hostages. Benny Gantz also rejected the comparison, insisting that the hostages' lives are endangered by this rhetoric and that their safe return must remain a priority.

Other political figures, including Yair Golan, accused the government of prioritizing ideological goals over the lives of the hostages, claiming that officials have already decided to prolong the conflict. The controversy has intensified calls for a change in government policy and leadership.